The Delta Force franchise has its name etched into the lineage of the FPS genre. And yet for many younger players, it isn’t one they’ll necessarily be familiar with. That’s because it’s over two decades old at this point, with its last entry only played by a small community of hardcore veterans who still just about keep its ancient servers ticking over. But it’s soon to make a major comeback; at least, that’s what developer Team Jade will be hoping for Delta Force Hawk Ops. Based out of China, the development team has a two-pronged strategy in mind to give a fighting chance versus the FPS scene’s heavy hitters: a free-to-play multiplayer offering, and a premium single-player campaign that reboots the iconic Black Hawk Down storyline. It was the former offering that I got to check out at this year’s Summer Games Fest in a 30-minute play session alongside the development team.
Ahead of my hands-on time, I’d already seen the trailers showcased at Summer Games Fest Live. To my surprise, these painted a much more colorful and less grounded approach to tactical combat than the original game; specifically, the introduction of hero-shooter-like abilities in addition to gunplay. The footage also depicted large-scale battles complete with vehicles as players fought in waves to achieve familiar objectives seen in other contemporary shooters. Put simply, it looked a lot like Battlefield and much less like Delta Force of old. Just how tactical is this modern Delta Force, I wondered, and to what extent does it acknowledge the founding concepts of that 20-year-old IP so revered for its innovation?
30 minutes later, the answer still wasn’t clear. But before I convey that conclusion, let’s recap exactly what’s going on here:
There were two game modes I got to check out at Summer Games Fest: Hazard Operation and Havoc Warfare. The former is a 32v32 PvP mode in which can choose from four operators: Support, Recon, Assault, and Engineer. I tried several, including Support, who weilds a healing gun, and Assault, an all-rounder focused on offense. No matter which you choose, though, there’s very extensive customization available, including detailed weapon adjustments such as muzzle velocity. There’s no doubt that gun-nuts will absolutely love Delta Force’s focus on detailed custom weapon setups.
The gameplay involved capturing objectives and advancing across the map either on foot or in vehicles, with respawning on teammates possible unless they were in combat. As buildings were captured, advanced weaponry was available for unlock, which is a feature presumably designed to add tactical depth. If I’m honest, though, none of that really translated, which, void of the ability to communicate with teammates in this pre-release version and facing waves of enemy AI, felt like a simple slog of attrition more than a tactical experience.
Sitting at my booth playing, I asked some of the dev team present what they feel it is about this new Delta Force that captures the tactical nature of the original. In response, I was told weapon customization, lower time to kill, and map design were core pillars of that effort. The hero-shooting abilities, meanwhile, the team maintains are grounded in what they consider realistic weaponry for its 2035, near-future setting. I must say, though, I ended my Havoc experience not entirely convinced. While the nature of what they were saying made sense, Havoc didn’t feel like a gameplay experience that hit on what I consider the cornerstones of a true tac-shooter; the lack of onus on teamwork in taking down relentless waves of enemies didn’t convey a sense that anything I was doing had a meaningful impact on the battlefield. It was just… combat, over and over again in a grind toward an objective without context.
Of course, it’s important to keep in mind this is an alpha playtest against AI designed as a proof of concept. But I’m struck by Delta Force Hawk Ops feeling more like a carbon copy of Battlefield than an innovative tac-shooter that the original is fondly remembered as. Maybe none of that matters, though. If Team Jade’s objective is to provide a Battlefield-like experience for FPS fans discontented at the new direction that particular series has taken, maybe it’s onto a winner here.
Separate from Havoc, I also played the Hazard Operation, a PvE experience that can be played solo or in squads against AI and real players. It’s an extraction mode in which survival until helicopter pickup is key. Starting with minimal gear, you can loot enemies and crates for better equipment. Sound familiar? It’s another game mode pulled straight from other shooters in the genre, akin to Escape from Tarvok or Warzone’s DMZ. It played well enough and admittedly did feel much more tactical with the loss of my gear and loot on the line. I can see this mode being popular if it’s executed properly, and it does feel more akin to the gritty realism of the original game than Havok. But is it pushing the boundaries of innovation? Is it doing anything particularly groundbreaking? Not really.
Despite the FPS genre’s oversaturation, Delta Force Hawk Ops seems less intent on sticking out through innovation and instead by keeping rigidly to a formula that has worked for years. If I was being brutal, I’d call it generic, though it occurs to me that it may yet deliver an experience that a certain demographic of fans are pining for after the likes of Battlefield have moved in a new direction. Delta Force could, therefore, prove well-timed comfort food.
Delta Force Hawk Ops doesn’t have a release date yet, but it will be available as a free-to-play multiplayer experience across PC, console, and mobile. The Black Hawk Down campaign will be a premium option.
